Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Building a better world: Chimera scratchbuilding

Well, building a somewhat different Chimera, anyway. First don't catch your hare as it's unkind to animals. But do set asides the materials you will need: a pencil, a sharp blade, 2mm thick plasticard, 0.5mm thick plasticard, glue (poly cement) and a ruler or two. I have an aluminium ruler on which I can read the markings, but which is too soft to use when cutting, and a dreary steel ruler, which is sturdy but marked with invisible darknesses. So you have your ruler(s), knife, glue and plasticards. Click on a photo if you wish to see it at full resolution.

Of the 2mm thick plasticard take a piece 115mm by 40mm, and mark it as above. Then take a piece of 0.5mm plasticard (230 by 20mm) and mark it as follows.

Return to your 2mm thick plasticard, and cut along the lines you made before. Then use a file or sandpaper to smooth the edges. Place this rounded piece atop the 0.5mm plasticard so.

Trace with a pencil around the edges so.

Take another piece of 0.5mm plasticard, and measure a space 15 by 20mm. Make two such pieces. These will be the side hatches.

Carefully cut the 0.5mm plasticard to fit onto the 2mm plasticard as shown in the picture above.The circles are of 0.5mm plasticard and made with a hole-punch. Decorate with rivets, handles,
hinges as desired.

I hope this has been handily didactic, but if not, please let me know so I can edit it suitably! Until next time, beloved readers!

P.S. If you have yet to see them, I have recently made posts concerning my disposing of some doodahs on Ebay: here and also here.